


you taste like lucky strikes

by qweenofasadland



Series: Harringrove Week of Love Prompt Fills [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 20:19:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17731985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qweenofasadland/pseuds/qweenofasadland
Summary: When a stranger offers to light Steve's cigarette before entering the bakery, Steve cannot deny his curiosity and attraction.





	you taste like lucky strikes

**Author's Note:**

> Title and chapter names are based on the song "Lucky Strike" by Troye Sivan.

Though it was the middle of winter, the weather had been atypically warm. Well, warm for an Indiana winter. It was still cold and worse yet, it was raining. Rain in the summer was refreshing and had that distinctive and intoxicating smell. Any other time, rain was just a disappointment. It didn’t have that whimsical, redeeming quality of snow and yet you were still guaranteed to become cold and uncomfortably wet if you had to venture outside.

Unfortunately for Steve Harrington, he had to be at work early on this dreadful morning. He arrived with a few minutes to spare before he had to open, so he pulled out his cigarettes. He had been trying to quit but after the stress of last semester, he had picked it back up again. He was trying to light one up under an awning but the wind and the drizzle made it difficult.

With his fingers going numb from the cold, he gave up. “Son of a bitch.”

Someone softly chuckled a few feet away. Steve looked up and met the brilliant blue eyes of a stranger. His smile was sharp but his thick-lashed eyes were inviting. Steve silently observed the young man as he reached in his back pocket. He pulled out a black Zippo lighter and asked, “Need a light?”

“Umm, sure?” Steve wasn’t sure why his response came out as a question. The stranger skillfully flicked the lighter open and held the flame close so that Steve could light his cigarette. He leaned in but his eyes never left the stranger.

He dressed like your basic “bad boy”, the type of guy that normally elicited an eye roll from Steve. Dark, tight jeans. A black tee underneath a worn leather jacket. It appeared as though his hair had been slicked back but the rain had caused the natural curl to reappear.

“Thanks,” Steve muttered between the cigarette and his lips. The handsome stranger was far from the kind of guys he was usually attracted to but he could not look away. The golden-haired Adonis leaned against the building next to Steve and pulled out his own pack of cigarettes.

“You work here?” the man questioned him before placing a cigarette between his perfectly pouty lips.

Distracted, Steve fumbled for a response. “Sorry, what?”

The stranger gave him a narrowed glare before momentarily removing his cigarette. He dryly chuckled, ran his tongue against his teeth and upper lip, and then repeated with more bite, “You work here?”

“Yeah, sorry.” He checked his watch. “I should be opening up right now.” Steve took a final drag on his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and putting it out with his foot. He bent down to pick it up so that he could throw it away.

The gorgeous man raised a skeptical eyebrow but stayed silent as Steve unlocked the door and headed inside the bakery. He flipped on the open sign of the small local bakery before heading to the back to grab his apron. Steve greeted the morning baker, Tom, in passing as he took up his position at the cash register.

After a couple minutes, the stranger he’d met outside entered the bakery. Steve swallowed hard and tried to calm his nerves. He gave the man a half-hearted smile as he approached the counter. Steve tried not to let the man notice he was staring as he took his time looking at the menu.

Absentmindedly, or perhaps intentionally, the stranger reached under his shirt to scratch an itch. His action exposed his exceptionally toned stomach. The denim hanging dangerously low on his hips revealed sexy v-cuts. Steve had to prevent himself from making a small noise of pleasure at the sight.

With Steve’s eyes starting to travel south of the man’s waistline, the stranger asked, “How’s the coffee here?”

Steve quickly glanced up. The man was looking at him, wearing a knowing grin. Steve could feel his face redden and quickly started talking.

“It’s okay. Not great but better than Starbucks.”

“Hmm, that’s not really saying much but I guess I’ll have a medium mocha and a cinnamon streusel muffin.”

“What’s your name?” Steve did not normally bother asking, typically because he knew the customer, but he was desperate for any information about the stranger.

“Billy.”

Steve was a little surprised; most guys with the name “William” didn’t use a nickname or went with “Will”. “Okay, Billy, your total is $7.49.”

He pulled out cash and when Steve returned the change, Billy slowly brushed his fingers across Steve’s palm before taking it. “Aren’t you going to tell me yours?”

Distracted by the brief skin-on-skin contact, Steve dazedly asked, “Sorry?”

Billy laughed, “Your name, pretty boy. What is it?”

Steve scolded himself for immediately blushing. “Steve,” he replied as he handed Billy his muffin. “Your coffee will be ready in a moment.”

“Okay. Thanks, _Steve_.” The way that Billy said his name sent shivers down his spine.

Billy took his muffin and sat down at a table. Steve watched him scroll through his phone as he made the man’s coffee. Billy took a bite of his muffin, which doesn’t warrant any sex appeal but anything he did could probably be considered obscene.

When he was finished making the hot beverage, instead of calling his name Steve brought the coffee over to Billy. The attractive man looked up from his phone with a look of surprise on his face.

“Here’s your coffee.”

“Oh, thank you,” Billy delicately responded.

Steve turned around and began walking back towards the register when Billy called after him, “Hey Steve, wait a second.”

Steve apprehensively turned back around and waited for Billy to tell him what he wanted.

“There’s no one else here, why don’t you sit with me for a little bit?”

“Umm… sure, yeah okay,” Steve anxiously agreed before sitting across from Billy. There was a moment of awkward silence until Steve eventually blurted, “You’re not from around here, are you?”

Billy flashed a razor sharp smile at Steve and simply said, “No.”

After giving Billy some time to elaborate, Steve finally attempted to continue the conversation. “So, where are you from then? How did you wind up in Hawkins of all places?”

He took a slow, tantalizing sip of his coffee before giving Steve an answer. “San Francisco. My sister lives here though. Maxine Mayfield, Max as you might know her. She actually recommended this place.”

Steve’s eyebrows went up. From the description Max had given of her brother, Billy was not what Steve would have expected. Billy suddenly leaned across the table, getting as close to him as possible.

Billy whispered, “Though I didn’t exactly come here for the food.” He bit his lower lip and looked at Steve through sultry heavy-lidded eyes.

Steve could not help but smile and boldly asked, “What did you come for then?”

He softly chuckled and kept his gaze on Steve. “I thought it was obvious, though perhaps not as obvious as you checking me out earlier.”

His comment rendered Steve momentarily speechless. He tried to fight though his embarrassment but was unsuccessful. “I – umm – sorry.”

Billy laughed more heartily. “Don’t apologize. Believe me, I liked it.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “The truth is that Max told me about you and I’ve been stalking your Instagram for weeks. I couldn’t wait to come here and meet you.”

Steve was absolutely taken aback and said with a hint of humor, “I’m not sure if I should be flattered or creeped out.”

Billy’s smile faded and he leaned away from Steve. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything.”

Gathering some courage, Steve reached across the table and placed his hand on Billy’s. “No, you didn’t freak me out. I guess it’s just that I’m not used to guys being that into me. Especially, someone as attractive as you.”

Billy appeared flabbergasted and grasped Steve’s hand. “Are you kidding me? You are gorgeous.”

Steve blushed and it seemed as though Billy was about to lean in for a kiss when suddenly the door opened and a customer walked in. Steve quickly let go of Billy’s hand and gave him an apologetic look before heading to the counter to serve the regular.

“Hey Chief Hopper, the same as usual?”

He nodded before looking back at Billy with suspicion. “Who’s that?” he whispered to Steve.

“Max’s brother from California.”

Hopper’s eyebrows shot up and he nodded. “Oh, okay.” Hopper’s adopted daughter and his girlfriend’s son were friends with Max. Steve placed Hopper’s pastries into a to-go bag and handed him a black coffee. After he had handed Hopper back his change and had bid him goodbye, Steve turned his attention back to Billy’s table.

**It was empty.**

Though he was saddened by his departure, Steve tried to brush it off. Two customers walked in and he gave a little sigh as he got back to work. When they had left, Steve went around and cleaned up their table as well as Billy’s.

Billy had picked up most of his trash, leaving only his plate and coffee cup sleeve. As Steve went to toss the sleeve into the garbage, he noticed that there was writing on it.

_Meet me at 16 Dearborn Street. 8pm_.

Steve wore a grin for the rest of the day. By the time 5pm rolled around, he was buzzing with excitement. He tried to relax when he got home but nothing worked. Finally, around half past six, Steve took a shower and prepared for his date or whatever his meeting with Billy could be.

He left a little early and drove around the block until it was close to 8. Steve nervously approached the door before ringing the bell. Billy answered clad in the same dark jeans that he wore earlier but he was no longer wearing the black tee and leather jacket. Instead, he only wore a navy blue cardigan. It was only buttoned half way up, his tanned and bare chest exposed.

Steve stood with his jaw agape and Billy lightly laughed before he pulled him inside.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm considering working this into a longer fic that plays into the stalker aspect, somewhere along the lines of You on Netflix. Criticism is welcome :)


End file.
